Nigerian Senate Declines to Intervene in PFIPC Budget Controversy

The Nigerian Senate announced it will not intervene in the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) because no formal petition has been submitted to the National Assembly. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said the dispute – involving claims that the agency’s director‑general, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, demanded bribes from Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and that a ₦1.3 billion allocation appears in the 2026 Appropriation Act – is an executive‑branch matter already before the courts. The Presidency has publicly denied the existence of the PFIPC, labeling it a “fake” agency, while Adeyemi maintains his appointment was legitimate. The Senate stressed it had no role in inserting the budget line and would only act if a petition were filed, noting that the matter would be relevant only if the director‑general were a presidential appointee requiring Senate confirmation. The case continues in the Federal High Court, with the Chief of Staff and other officials listed as prosecution witnesses.